Why do they say to plant squash and melons on mounds?

[garden5]

It seem like every time I read a seed packet for squash and sometimes melons, it says to plant them on mounds. Why is that, better drainage?

Do you plant your squash/melons on mounds or flat ground, and do you notice any difference between the two?

Thanks all.

[rainbowgardener]

I think for drainage, because they like lots of water, but not to stay wet, and because they are heavy feeders, so you are piling up lots of good enriched topsoil for them. But I also found this:

Obviously, the ideal location for a pumpkin patch is a large area that has rich soil and lots of sunlight. It doesn't have to be flat. In fact, there is a theory that these plants get really happy when given the chance to race down hills. They seem to grow more vigorously with gravity urging their wanderings. This is one reason pumpkins are grown on mounds.
https://www.professorshouse.com/your-home/gardening-plants/growing-pumpkins.aspx

[jal_ut]

Hmmmmm, I thought it said plant in hills. My understanding of that is that a hill is 4 seeds close together, then skip 6 feet to the next hill. It does not necessarily refer to a raised hill or mound.

The truth is that all vining squash and pumpkins can be raised on flat ground and in rows or singly if desired. All squash and pumpkins have a very large root system, and there will be roots spread as far as the top growth and to considerable depths. Squash also sends down roots from the leaf nodes of the vine.

If you make a little mound to plant on, both the vine and the roots will go way beyond that in very short order. It makes little sense to me to make a raised hill. Why bother?

[gixxerific]

I have been to many pumpkin (squash) patches around Halloween (4 this year) they are not planted in mounds. I have some friends that plant a ton of squash to give away, no mounds there, they always have a great harvest. So whether it makes them better or not I can not, but I can say that you do not need to mound.

[Gerrie]

[quote="jal_ut"]Hmmmmm, I thought it said plant in hills. My understanding of that is that a hill is 4 seeds close together, then skip 6 feet to the next hill. It does not necessarily refer to a raised hill or mound.

This is the way I understand it, too, as JAL_UT explains.

[TZ -OH6]

The tradition goes back to the Native Americans who prepared their fields with digging sticks and bone hoes. Scraping the loose soil into a small mound was the best way to get a deep-deeper area for seed germination and root penetration, and it also helped the young plants survive spring rains by getting them up a little higher above any short term pooling water. If you read "Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians" [free PDF download from google books- also sold as "Buffalobird Woman's Garden"] it goes into detail about size and spacing of mounds and the reasons for seed placement of different vegetables (corn, squash, beans) on a mound.

[JONA878]

Over here I think it comes from the fact that most gardeners planted their melon, marrow etc on the old compost heaps.
The warm compost and all that goodness made for the ideal location.
Jona

[garden5]

TZ-OH6, that's some really interesting information. That is certainly not the first time that an old belief/method, perpetuated itself through the ages.

Jal_ut, I think that your post could apply to our previous discussion about soil looseness and the effect of plant's roots on it (I still haven't read the resources you gave ). The root tendencies of squash sound like they would really benefit the soil. Good to know.

[HammerHeads]

I was raised near Luling Texas, then the "watermelon capital of the world'. They then as they do now and else where plant acres of melon on plowed furrows with mechanical seeder. "Furrow"and "Acre" have very interesting definitions and information if you look them up. I think it is to prevent stem rot; mounds/hills just make more sense in gardening typical sizes and being hand tool make.

[jal_ut]

Hi HammerHeads. Welcome to the forum. Interesting you choose to revive this ol post from eight years ago.

[lakngulf]

I have found that when planted on a Hill or Mound that the squash plant is subject to an easy break when rains come with heavy wind. Easy for those plants to turn over.

[Gary350]

Old wives tail, don't plant seeds close together it crowds the plants. Plant in rows or patches seeds 2 ft apart.

[jal_ut]

My Father would give me the seed and he would take a shovel. He would lift up a shovel full of soil and I would toss in 5 or 6 seeds, then he would take a long step and repeat. When it all got up and growing, we had a squash patch.

[imafan26]

Well, I have to admit my happiest squash ran down my front slope or climbed up the fence and kept trying to seal my gate. I think though the reason for hilling is not just because the vines like to be on the dry side. Hilling does not make much sense then, because the seeds would be dry to keep from damping off in wet weather, but if it rains the vines would be on lower ground.

I think they plant in hills mainly so it would be easier to find the roots. Usually it is not one but 4 seeds (vines per hill). On open ground sprawling vines would be going everywhere. Of course after the vines grow out some, even the hills are not easy to discern unless you flag them.

Maybe they hill them just because that is what people did and it worked. It is as good an explanation as any. If it ain't broke don't try to fix it or ask "why?".